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UNDER MY RADAR: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

I thought I would do something a little different today by sharing a small list of products that have passed through my radar. Since some of these products are sample sizes, this post will be a mixture of first impressions and thorough reviews.

Arbonne RE9 Advanced Collection* has big promises with 57% reported improvement in skin firmness within 24 hours. These sample sizes lasted me 3 days but sadly, I didn't notice any improvements which is not surprising as skincare needs at the very least two to three weeks to show results.

The only product that I felt did something to my skin was the Night Repair Cream* which gave a temporary tightening effect to my skin upon absorption however my skin looked the same the next morning. I also enjoy the Soothing Facial Cleanser* which feels like silk on the skin, foams up nicely and cleanses without making my skin feel stripped and dry.

I am on the fence with the Regenerating Toner*, Intensive Renewal Serum and Corrective Eye cream; they absorbed quickly, don't have any overpowering scent but as I stated earlier, more time is needed for me to see results.

Now I save the best or in this case, the worst for last...I dislike the day creams. Both are light cream textures that come with SPF20, absorbed quickly and moisturized my dry skin nicely but both smell strongly of sunscreen which is not my cup of tea.

NeoStrata FirmaLift Eye Contour Firming Cream*

One of the best eye creams that I have ever used; it's an unscented light cream that absorbs very quickly and leaves my under eye areas moisturized. I have been using this for more than a month and I've noticed my eyes looking well rested, fresh and while it didn't banish my deeper lines (I don't believe any topical cream could do that), I did notice my fine lines are much softer. This eye cream is also perfect under makeup and doesn't make my concealer crease throughout the day.

Elianto Nutri Mineral and Essence Sheet Masks

I bought tons of Elianto, a local Malaysian beauty brand sheet masks when I was in Malaysia. As you can see from the price, it was so cheap that I could't resist. While the reviews online have been mediocre, I actually enjoyed both masks. They are slightly on the wetter side which might be uncomfortable for some but my dry skin absolutely appreciates them. I've only used one of each masks but my skin looks brighter, softer and hydrated after each use.

Before I left for Malaysia, I saw a link to request samples for this new range and for some reason, I signed up for it (I blame the two glasses too many red wine that I had). These sachets came in the mail on Thursday and I was really eager to try them. I love anything coconut so I had high hopes for both.

Yes, they smell like coconut but the scent is so sickeningly sweet that I wanted to gag while washing my hair. I always shower a couple of hours before bed so when I woke up the next morning, the scent was stuck on my pillow.

I was a walking talking coconut shake...so no, just no.

These felt good on my hair, very moisturizing without weighing down my thin, fine hair but the scent was so overwhelming for me and I don't see myself purchasing full size.

So there you have it, a collection of bits and bobs of products that I have been testing recently. What products that have come under your radar in these recent weeks?

*Items marked with (*) were received for free but my thoughts and opinions are 100% unbiased, honest and my own. There is no place for any sort of BS here.